Flotsam Jetsam - Massachusetts Marine...

Volume 45, Number 1 | 1

&JetsamFlotsam

Summer 2016 www.ma-marine-ed.org Vol. 45, No. 1

• INSIDE THIS ISSUE •Managing The Commons . . . . . . . 1 MME Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Ins and Outs of Fisheries Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Presidents Message . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The RV Neil Armstrong . . . . . . . . . 5 From the Editors Desk . . . . . . . . . . 6Classroom Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2016 WHOI report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8NMEA Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Long Haul Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9BHEC Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122016 MME T-shirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17NEOSEC Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19HSMSS Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Annual Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

If you have difficulty accessing this journal, contact the editor at dimmick@esteacher .org . The next issue of F&J will be posted on the website on Sept . 11 .

continued on page 10

FISHERIES MANAGEMENTMANAGING THE COMMONS:

A Quick History of Fishing and FisheriesElaine Brewer, Information and Education Coordinator, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

and MME Board Member

Whether you realize it or not, fishing is important to Massa-chusetts. Gloucester is dubbed

“America’s oldest seaport” and is an active fishing port with generations of fishing families. On the south shore, New Bedford is America’s top fishing port with fish landings valued in the hundreds of millions. The entire coastline is known for its recreational fishing as well and is home to numerous charter and head boat captains. From boat or shore, north to south, fishing is a part of Massachusetts.

A bit of historyThe act of consuming fish is old and not too much is known about it in ancient times. We know people have been eating seafood (here, seafood means food from both fresh and salt waters). Shell middens (mounds) have been aged to over 140,000 years old; however, items like discarded fish bones and cave paintings depicting

fish and the act of fishing date back to only 40,000 years ago. The 100,000 years between the oldest shell middens and preserved consumed fish remains has not revealed any major fishing revelations yet. This corresponds to a time when hunter and gatherer groups began to make permanent settlements—at least seasonally—along bodies of water. We also know that harvesting from the water was wide-spread throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. And that each location has records of people consuming fish at roughly the same time.

More prominent displays of evidence begin roughly 16,000 years ago in a cave in France, where drawings show people hunting seals with harpoons. Roughly 4,000 years ago, tomb scenes, draw-ings, and papyrus scrolls catalogue the change from bone hooks to metal hooks during Egypt’s 12th Dynasty. Between 8,000 and 4,000 years ago, more perma-nent settlements started to take form along freshwater bodies, which farmers used for irrigation. These new farmers now cannot leave their crops to follow herds long distances like they used to.

2 | Summer 2016 Flotsam & Jetsam

OFFICERSPresident Sandi Ryack- Bell MITS

President- Elect Anne Smrcina Stellwagen Bank NMS

Past President Erin Hobbs Newburyport High School

Treasurer Lydia Breen Retired

Assistant Treasurer Linda McIntosh MITS

Secretary Elaine Brewer MA Division of Marine Fisheries

Executive Director Robert Rocha New Bedford Whaling Museum

Editor Howard Dimmick Science Education Consultantsdimmick@esteacher .org

Journal Design Patty Schuster Page Designs, Inc .

BOARD OF DIRECTORSMargaret Brumsted Dartmouth High SchoolMary Chmielecki Mansfield Public SchoolsThomas Consi MIT Sea GrantHoward Dimmick Science Education ConsultantsBen Harden Sea Education AssociationChris Jacobs South Shore Natural Science CenterJoseph LaPointe RetiredGail Lima Winsor SchoolJesse Mechling Center for Coastal StudiesGil Newton Sandwich Public SchoolsDon Pinkerton Revere High SchoolKara Mahoney-Robinson New England AquariumVal Perini Northeastern University Marine Science CenterDr . Joel Rubin Stoughton High SchoolKathy Zagzebski National Marine Life Center

DIRECTORS EMERITIElizabeth Edwards- Cabana Retired EducatorGail Brookings Retired EducatorKatherine Callahan Educational ConsultantPeg Collins Educational ConsultantJack Crowley Educational ConsultantGeorge Duane Educational ConsultantMarge Inness Educational Consultant

MASSACHUSETTS MARINE EDUCATORSc/o Robert Rocha, New Bedford Whaling Museum

18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740www .ma-marine-ed .org

JUNE 27- JULY 1, 2016NMEA MeetingOrlando Florida

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016MME Board Meeting

Stoughton High SchoolJoel Rubin host

j_rubin@stoughtonschools .org

OCTOBER 1, 2016Boston Harbor Educators

Conference

OCTOBER 20 , 2016MSELA Conference MArlborough, MA.

2016 MME SummerCalendar

Check the website and F&J for details

All MME Members are invited to Board Meetings .

Let the host know if you are coming .


The Ins and Outs of Fisheries Management in New England

Tina Berger, Director of Communications, and Amy Hirrlinger, Fisheries Specialist, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

IntroductionThe process of fisheries management is confusing. A multitude of species are managed by differing combinations of state, regional, and federal agen-cies. We hope to alleviate some of the confusion behind fisheries manage-ment with a focus on New England. First, it is important to understand jurisdictional authority in the marine environment. Zero to three miles from the shore fall under the sovereign authority of the coastal states. Waters three to 200 miles from shore encom-pass the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which is managed under the authority of the federal government. In this case, that federal entity is NOAA Fisheries (also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service), which resides under the Department of Commerce (see map of jurisdictions).

Within these management jurisdic-tions are two regional bodies that play an overarching role in the management of marine fisheries resources in New

England. These bodies are the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, with management oversight from zero to three miles from shore, and the New England Fishery Management Council, with management oversight from three to 200 miles from shore. Both bodies were established with the recognition that the states and federal government have a shared interest in, and respon-sibility for, the marine resources that inhabit and freely migrate between the various jurisdictions.

INTERSTATE MANAGEMENT: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries CommissionIn the early 1940s, recognizing that they could accom-plish far more through cooper-ation rather than individual effort, the Atlantic coastal states came together to form the Atlantic States Marine Fish-eries Commission (Commission or ASMFC). An Interstate Compact, rati-fied by the states and approved by the U.S. Congress in 1942, acknowledged the necessity of the states joining forces to manage their shared migratory fishery resources from zero to three miles offshore and affirmed the states’ commitment to cooperative stew-ardship in promoting and protecting Atlantic coastal fishery resources.

Two important pieces of legislation—the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (1984) and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act (ACFCMA, 1993)—played a major role in changing the way inter-state fisheries are managed along the Atlantic coast. Both Acts recognize

the interjurisdictional nature of fishery resources and the necessity of the states and federal government to implement regulations that ensure the conservation and sustainability of these resources. As a result of these Acts, all Atlantic coastal states that are included in a Commission fishery management plan (FMP) must implement the required conservation provisions of the plan. Failure to do so allows the Secretary of Commerce (and the Interior in the case of striped bass) to impose a moratorium for fishing in the noncompliant state’s waters. This was a significant departure from how fisheries had been managed for the first 40 years of the Commis-sion’s existence, when interstate FMPs lacked mandatory management measures and were voluntarily imple-mented by the states.

Membership of ASMFCOver the past 75 years, the Commis-sion has expanded its management authority to include 26 nearshore species among the 15 states from Maine to Florida, including Penn-sylvania. Each state is represented by three Commissioners: the director of the state’s marine fisheries manage-ment agency, a state legislator, and an individual appointed by the state’s governor to represent stakeholder interests. These Commissioners deliberate in the Commission’s four main policy arenas: interstate fisheries management, fisheries science, habitat conservation, and law enforcement.

Structure of ASMFCDecisions affecting species management occur through the Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP). The



Living in the New Bedford area, I am reminded daily of the importance of the fishing industry, not only to this diverse community, but to the entire Commonwealth.

New Bedford is the largest fishing port in Massachusetts. Fishing boats entering and leaving its port are a daily reminder of the importance of both commercial and recre-ational fisheries. In this issue of Flotsam and Jetsam, you will find articles on the importance of the fishing industry to Massachusetts and all of New England. Some of the articles provide content for interdisciplinary connects you can incorporate into your lessons including the history of the fishing industry, literacy connections based on both factional and fictional writings, resource management, the impacts of pollution on a natural resource, and the economical and ecological impacts of overfishing. The article on fisheries management in New England provides information on how state and federal regulations are set. Using the practice of modeling, along with some role-playing, this information can be used to develop classroom activities that provide students with an understanding of how state, regional, and federal agencies need to work collaboratively along with members of the commer-cial fishing industry to protect the fisheries and enable commercial fisherman to be able to make a living carrying out their trade. We hope you will find this issue full of useful information and resources for your classroom.

As we end the school year, MME is already preparing for the 2016–2017 school year. Plans are well underway for the 2016 Harbor Educators Conference. “Celebrating Boston Harbor: Lighting the Way Forward” will take place at

UMass Boston on Saturday, October 1. We hope you will join us for an exciting day filled with speakers, workshops, and field trips. At the Annual Meeting in Woods Hole, we elected new Board members as others stepped down after three or more years of service. We thank retiring Board members Carole McCauley, Nicole Scola, Amy Siuda, Kristina Woods, Mary Kay Taylor, and Kathryn Shroyer for all of their hard work and support. We welcome our new Board members Val Perini, Gil Newton, Ben Harden, Chris Jacobs, Tom Consi, Gail Lima, and Mary Chmielecki.

The High School Marine Science Symposiums were filled to capacity. Both the Northeastern University and Salem State University sites provided opportunities for the students to meet with researchers and practitioners in the field of marine science providing a college and career read-iness opportunity for these students. Massachusetts Marine Educators held its 40th Conference and annual meeting returning to Quissett Campus this year. Congratulations to our award winners whom were honored at the Annual Meeting.

Several of our members and Board members will be attending and presenting at the National conference June 28 – July 1. We hope you take this opportunity to participate in the National Marine Educators Association Annual conference and join us in Orlando.

Have a great summer!

Sandi

President’s Message


One of the highlights of the Annual Conference was the presence at the dock of the RV Neil

Armstrong. This is the newest of the nation’s research vessels, and it arrived three days prior to the conference. Conference attendees were able to tour the vessel as one of the workshop programs for the afternoon.

Boasting the latest sonar and naviga-tion systems, the RV Neil Armstrong is designed to explore distant corners of the oceans, studying everything from the tiniest bacteria to deep fissures in the sea floor. On Wednesday, April 6, the research vessel eased through the calm waters of Vineyard Sound and into its new port on Cape Cod for the first time.

After years of anticipation and construction, the nation’s most advanced research vessel arrived in Woods Hole to begin a new chapter in oceanic research. Named for the first man to walk on the moon, the Armstrong was greeted with fanfare, from celebratory cannon fire to a brass band.

“It’s quite a special day for us,” said Rob Munier, vice president of marine operations at the Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution, which will operate the vessel. Munier spent more than a decade helping design the Armstrong, and seeing it finally sail into Woods Hole was a moment of deep pride, he said.

The Armstrong takes over for the RV Knorr, a legendary vessel that sailed

nearly 1.4 million miles over 44 years and was part of some of the twentieth century’s greatest ocean discoveries. Nostalgia for the Knorr, acclaimed for finding the wreckage of the RMS Titanic off Newfoundland and massive tube worms thriving at frigid depths near the Galapagos Islands, ran deep among the cheering crowds that greeted the blue ship, as well as its crew.

“We’re still getting used to the Armstrong,” said Captain Kent

Sheasley, who took the helm of the Armstrong after 20 years on the Knorr. “It may take a while.” The $100 million ship, built by the Navy, is smaller than the Knorr, can stay at sea for about two weeks less, and carries fewer scientists.

But its technology is far superior to the Knorr’s badly outdated computers and 1960s-era fire control and public announcement systems. The Knorr was retired in 2014 and given to Mexico as a gift last year.

The Armstrong runs on clean diesel engines that are far more fuel-ef-ficient, uses the latest navigation

and positioning systems, and emits far less noise than its predecessor. It is outfitted with cranes that can lift heavier objects and is far more comfortable for the scientists and crew on board.

“She’s going to be as good as the Knorr – if not better,” said Mark Abbott, president of the Woods Hole Oceano-graphic Institution. “She really is state of the art.”

At the ship’s inauguration ceremony, Kali Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s granddaughter, sang the national anthem, and his widow, Carol, was there to honor her husband.

In an interview, she said it was fitting that the ship would be named for an astronaut, since US space shuttles were named for sailing vessels.

“It’s very emotional,” she said. “Neil would love this. He was

more Navy than NASA.”

Neil Armstrong died in 2012 at age 82.

Armstrong said she was glad that her husband, a naval aviator and test pilot before he became an astronaut, would be remembered for “something other than landing on the moon.”

Despite the increased use of autono-mous vessels, Navy and Woods Hole officials said ships remain vital to research.

Frank Herr, director of the Office of

RV Neil Armstrong

The Neil Armstrong has an array of sophisticated scientific and shipboard equipment and technologies.

DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF



From the Editor’s Desk

The world population continues to grow, placing more pressure on our food supplies. Management of the fishing stocks is an ongoing process. In addition, we

are seeing the effect of climate change causing added stress. In this issue, we have highlighted these problems with three articles dealing with the ramifications of population growth, climate change, and a decline in the fish populations of the world oceans.

Ocean temperatures are warming which in turn has caused a shift in the location of the sea creature populations. It is becoming increasingly common in the waters off the New England coast to see species which 10 years ago were not in existence here. Species like the Black sea bass, fluke, and more southern species like red drum and cobia are beginning to be more prominent in our state waters. Larger numbers of sea turtles are being found further north along our coast and many are being stunned in the late fall by unusually large dips in water temperature. Many of these turtles are rescued and rehabilitated before being trans-ported back to warmer waters. Historic lobster populations off the Massachusetts coast are slowly shifting northward to cooler waters off the Maine and Canada coast.

Days at sea are being limited for our commercial fishermen. Fish populations are in decline or shifting to new locations, leaving the fishermen with empty fish totes to bring ashore. Days of catching more fish than the boat can handle is now only a memory and we are working harder than ever on ways to make sure there are fish in the ocean for the next generation.

Many classroom activities dealing with fisheries management and food webs are found on line. A simple Find-a-Word activity for younger students is on the next page. Links to four additional resources are listed here.

1 NOAA has prepared a Fisheries Student Activity Book to explain fisheries management, why it is important, and how fisheries populations are managed. This is a twelve-page booklet dealing with Atlantic cod, red snapper, fishing regulations, and both recreational and commercial fishing. Several enrichment activities are also included. The booklet is found at http://www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/pdfs/fissall.pdf

2 NOAA has an activity for Grades K–5 dealing with food webs, focusing on the food webs of marine mammals. It is a ten-page unit containing three activities. It is also linked to the Massachusetts State Science Curriculum standards, and is found at http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/psb/NOEPS/documents/FW_Lesson_K-5_NOEPS.pdf

3 NOAA Education Resources presents an excellent set of materials dealing with aquatic food webs lesson plans, multimedia materials, real time data, satellite images and background materials to present the topic. They are found at http://www.education.noaa.gov/Marine_Life/Aquatic_Food_Webs.html

4 Finally, PBS has produced a fishing simulation activity linked to both the National Science and Social Studies Standards. In addition to the activity, several exten-sions are presented at the end of the activity. This one is found at http://www-tc.pbs.org/emptyoceans/educa-tors/activities/docs/Activity-Fishing.pdf

Dozens of other activities are out there on the web which will fit in well with the topics discussed in this journal. Enjoy your summer, and plan to spend some time looking into the topics we have featured in this issue.

Editor


studentsforFOR TEACHERS www.forteachersforstudents.com.au

Fisheries find-a-word

Can you find all the fishing and marine words hidden in the grid below? Once you have found the words, write the remaining letters from left to right (beginning at the top left hand corner) in the spaces below the grid to reveal the hidden message.

S U S T A I N A B L E P

E R H O B T N E F I N S

A T A C T Y O E K N O T

L C R T E M C U T E Z A

R E K R L A F A I S F O

S T H A A R I G T N I B

D O L P H I N I G C S F

H R U T W N U L L E H S

O P R I C E R L W A R T

O R C A S F I S H E R Y

K Q U O T A M A N A G E

S P E C I E S J O B S E

Boats

Bycatch

Dolphin

Fins

Fish

Fishery

Gill

Hooks

Jobs

Knot

Lines

Manage

Marine

Nets

Orcas

Price

Protect

Quota

Seal

Shark

Shell

Species

Sustainable

Trap

Trawl

Whale

Zone

Name:

www.afma.gov.au

Protecting Our Fishing Future


MME’s Annual Conference and Meeting was held on a sunny April day at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Quissett Campus. Nearly 90 members were present for the meeting and heard two speakers

at the morning session. After lunch, eight workshops were offered to the attendees.

Keynote Speaker #1Dr. Ben Harden, Assistant Professor, SEA Education AssociationWhere does the Gulf Stream Go?The Gulf Stream carries warm tropical waters towards Europe and the Arctic Ocean, stabilizing our climate as it goes. With no exit to the north, the water then has to sink so that it can flow back south deep in the ocean. However, how and where the water sinks is still not completely known. To see why, we need to follow the Gulf Stream on its journey towards the Arctic?

Keynote Speaker #2Dr. Carla Curran, Associate Professor, Savannah State UniversityUsing marine mammals as a ‘hook’ to engage k-12 students in science.Students are naturally drawn to marine mammals, creating an ideal way to engage them in the sciences. In this presentation, I will provide several examples of using such research in published K-12 educational activities, all of which address national science standards and ocean literacy principles. Within the activities showcased, students learn about rigorous data collection and analysis, all the while honing their mathematics and critical thinking skills. The data used is real, collected by graduate students, making these activities that much more exciting for students.

40th Annual Meeting

NMEA Annual Conference

This year’s National Marine Educators Association annual confer-ence will take place in Orlando, Florida, from June 27 to July 1. The Renaissance Hotel at Sea World is the host venue for all of the

workshops, meetings, plenary sessions and the annual Stegner Lecture.

One major addition for this year’s event is a full day Youth Conference that will bring together high school and college students, providing a setting for them to meet marine education professionals and to view each other’s work. As always, there will be three days of concurrent sessions, including a handful that represent international projects. Evening events are always fun, provide an introduction to the host chapter’s local marine resources, and serve as a setting to make and strengthen professional connections.

National Marine Educators Association conferences are a great way to meet members of other chapters, meet educators from other coun-tries, and share in the camaraderie of those who are as passionate as you about teaching marine education and marine science. Informa-tion about the conference can be found at http://www.marine-ed.org/?conferences

OCEAN LITERACY PRINCIPLE 6:

The ocean and humans are inextricably

interconnected

The ocean affects every human life. It supplies freshwater (most rain comes from the ocean) and nearly all Earth’s oxygen. The ocean moderates the Earth’s climate, influences our weather, and affects human health.

It provides food, medicines, and mineral and energy resources. It supports jobs and national economies, serves as a highway for transportation of goods and people, and plays a role in national security.

Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.


Whether you’re heading out to the local dock to cast a line in the water or you’re off to sea

for a 10-day trip to Georges Bank on a 90-foot fishing boat, you are part of a fishery. NOAA Fisheries’ mission is centered around productive and sustainable fisheries, safe sources of seafood, and the recovery and conser-vation of protected resources and their ecosystems. It is our job to safeguard our national fisheries so that they can continue providing us with food, jobs, and recreation. To do that, we need to constantly gather data about fish and fishermen so that we can keep our nation’s fisheries sustainable, and rebuild those that have been overfished.

Both recreational and commercial fishing remove fish from the stocks, so managing both sides of the equa-tion is important. Commercial and recreational fishermen often target the same species, but their impact on fish stocks vary. This is because some fish are more important to commer-cial fishermen, while others are more important to recreational fishermen. Although nationally commercial fishing accounts for 98% of fish landed, for some species in the Greater Atlantic Region (Maine through Cape Hatteras, NC), recreational fishermen actually land more of the total catch than commercial fishermen, such as with bluefish and black sea bass.

Managing FisheriesFisheries management is done coop-eratively. NOAA Fisheries works with regional fishery management councils, made of state directors, commercial and recreational industry representatives, academics, and non-governmental organizations to develop fishery management plans. The Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries

Conservation Act of 1976 established the fisheries management structure for the nation. As discussed in The Ins and Outs of Fisheries Management in New England, the fishery manage-ment councils work with a variety of stakeholders to develop management measures for a particular fishery, and NOAA Fisheries implements the coun-cil’s regulations unless the proposals do not meet the requirements of the Magnuson Act. NOAA Fisheries may approve, disapprove, or partially approve the councils’ plans.

The first part of any fishery manage-ment plan is to determine the total amount of fish that can be harvested from a fish stock per year. This is called the “Annual Catch Limit” or ACL, and is based on the best scientific infor-mation available. Once the ACL is established, it is divided between the recreational and commercial fisheries. Each species is allocated differently, based on a formula in the fishery management plan developed by the regional council. For example, the total 2016 available catch for black sea bass, which falls under the Mid Atlantic Council, is 6.67 million pounds. From the total available catch, we subtract the expected amount of discards (i.e., fish that are caught, but not landed, usually because they are too small or exceed the allowed number of fish), giving us the total allowable landings amount. Using the Council’s formula, we then allocated 51%, or 2.82 million pounds, to recreational fish-ermen and 49%, or 2.7 million pounds,

to the commercial fishery for 2016. Bluefish and summer flounder (fluke) are also popular recreational species. For bluefish, the Council’s plans allocate 83% of the total catch to recreational fishermen, and for fluke, 40%. Allo-cations are largely based on historical catches, but can be modified based on new economic or scientific information. After establishing the annual landings amounts, we need to put management measures in place to make sure we can meet, but not exceed, those limits. How we manage each fishery depends on the unique features of each fishery; there is no one-size-fits-all management.

Can’t Build a Wall: Fish Border CrossingsThe United States claims an Exclusive Economic Zone from our shores out to 200 nautical miles. This means that all of the fish within that 200-mile zone are reserved for US fishermen. Within that 200-mile zone, there are federal and state waters. State waters extend from the shore out to 3 nautical miles in our region. From 3 to 200 nautical miles are federal waters. Since fish don’t respect our boundaries, state and federal managers work together

Long HaulJennifer Goebel, Communications Specialist, and

Caleb Gilbert, Port Agent, NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region

NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region



Instead, they turned to the water nearby for fish.

Evidence of ancient Americans consuming fish is also readily avail-able. The Norte Chico civilization—the oldest known civilization in the Amer-icas—in present-day Peru is known to have eaten large amounts of seafood at both their coastal and inland areas. In North America, evidence of salmon fishing in Alaska dates back 11,500 years, while gorge hook fishing in California dates back roughly 7,500 years. Closer to home, the Boylston Street fishweir—discovered in Boston’s Back Bay area—is roughly 5,000 years old. Before filling this area in, Back Bay was a tidal mudflat, perfect for trapping fish. During excavation for Boston’s subway system, this famous fishweir and others were discovered. The Massachusetts people (who are thought to have built the weir) spent summer in coastal areas, taking part also in whaling and fishing for near-shore species.

Fishing in writingsUntil the Books in the Bible were written (i.e. the Book of Job, written sometime between 600 and 501 BCE), text on fishing of any kind have not been found besides the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt. Greek authors also wrote about the usefulness of the ocean. Polybius wrote about harpooning swordfish in his Histories between 264 and 146 BCE. Oppian of Corycus took three years to write his Halieulica (177–180 CE).

The ocean, and fishing in particular, has a strong presence in mythology of various cultures. Rán is a Norse sea goddess who traps lost sailors in a fishing net. Neptune, the Roman god of the sea (Poseidon is his Greek equivalent), was often depicted with a trident. Opochtli was a god of fishing (Aztec), as was Glaucus and

Pan (ancient Greece), Ukupanipo (Hawaii), Ebisu (Japan), Dragon King (Korea), Nanshe (ancient Mesopo-tamia), Amansinaya (Philippines), and Cá Ȏng (Vietnam).

As noted above, where seafood came from was obviously an interest to some in ancient civilizations. Until the 1400s, as far as we know, fish and harvest of fish was for sustenance. In 1496, we saw a new aspect of fishing. The first defin-itive essay on recreational fishing was written by Dame Juliana Berners. The language might be a tad different, but the topics are what every angler likes to talk about. Dame Berners included detailed information on where to go fishing, rods and reels, and how to use natural bait and artificial lures. Berners also began the conversation on conser-vation and angler etiquette—topics that are important to us now more than ever.

The dawning of fisheries managementThousands—even hundreds—of years ago, the ocean and other bodies of water were full of life. Once called Shoal Hope, the body of water between Boston and Provincetown was renamed Cape Cod Bay by Bartholomew Gosnold because of the “great stores of codfish” his crew caught in the area in 1602. Henry David Thoreau wrote in 1865 about schooners returning to port with their main decks being “eight inches under-water in calm weather.” These boats were heavy with the amount of cod on deck (Cape Cod).

Four hundred years later and we find ourselves in a groundfish disaster. In 2012, the Secretary of Commerce

declared a fishery disaster based on the severe reduction in catch limits that were implemented due to declining stock status. Despite fish-ermen’s adherence to catch limits, key fish stocks were not rebuilding, leaving fishery managers, scientists, and fishermen struggling to under-stand the causes of the crises facing the groundfish industry. Stemming from this disaster, the federal govern-ment, as part of a greater region-wide program, awarded Massachusetts over 21 million dollars to be distributed to impacted fishermen and communities. These payouts went to commercial and for-hire fishermen, crew members, shoreside businesses, and sectors to not only mitigate for past adverse impacts, but to also ensure a more resilient and sustainable future for the groundfish industry.. And cod isn’t the only fish affected by this. Popu-lations of nearly every commercially and recreationally important marine species have fallen due to increased pressure at some point in time. You may think that if we’ve had manage-ment in the past, this could be avoided. However, it’s not as easy as it seems. There are a lot of steps to be taken in managing a fishery—especially one that has been historically fished for. Other articles in this issue give more

Anglers with an early morning catch of yellowfin tuna.

Managing the Commonscontinued from page 1

Photo by David Brew

er


in-depth looks into how regulations are made and how management takes place today.

During the height of the industrial revolution, the demand for natural resources grew vastly, leading to a rapid expansion of exploitation. In 1871, the US Fish Commission was created to investigate the decline of catches in the ever-growing commer-cial fisheries. The Commission was the first of its kind, a federal agency with the sole purpose of monitoring and managing natural resources taken from the water. Spenser Baird, the first US Fish Commissioner, created the nation’s first fisheries laboratory in Woods Hole and proceeded to initiate a survey of marine life in New England waters from there. This survey proved that natural resources were not exhaustible and that management had to be activated.

Before 1900, regulations on methods for harvesting marine species emerged as did seasonality for catching these resources (i.e. people could only catch fish during specific time frames). Not long after the realization of our abuse of resources began to spread, the concept of an efficient use of fish populations developed. Known as the maximum sustainable yield, this calculated value is supposed to show how much of a specific species can be harvested indefinitely without effecting its population. The interest in fisheries science gained popularity in the early 1900s, leading to the development of fisheries science, fisheries manage-ment, and ecology as university classes and professions.

With these increases in interest and knowledge, by the mid-1900s, new kinds of regulations began to form. Minimum size restrictions protect young fish from being caught before they mature and daily creel limits commenced to ensure a healthy portion of each species is left in the water. With the growing knowledge of where fish migrate to and fro came the realization

that management must be a unified effort among all the states the fish pass through. The Atlantic States Marine Fish-eries Commission was formed in 1942 to ensure that the states work together on management efforts.

In 1950, the federal Sport Fish Resto-ration Act formed, where recreational freshwater equip-ment had an additional tax placed on it that goes directly back to the states for fish-eries conservation. In 1985, the Act increased to include marine fisheries as well.

As fishing and seafood consumption grew in the United States, it grew in other countries as well. At the time, the national waters only extended 12 miles from the coast. International fishing ships were harvesting species out of waters not managed by them. The fact that other countries were fishing US waters would not have been as big of an issue, except that these countries still lacked regulations. They saw the ocean as an inexhaustible resource for their taking. In 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act increased the national boundary from 12 miles to 200 miles, protecting these fish populations more so.

Within Massachusetts, management began earlier. In 1636, Plymouth Colony created some of the earliest fishing regulations in the country in order to protect alewives, an important fish used for food and fertilizer. In 1670, Thomas Paine (author of Common Sense) was appointed the first Water Bailiff, a position that was charged with regulating Cape Cod fisheries.

As you read the other articles in this issue, you’ll gain understanding that

fisheries regulation is not a perfect process. There are already a great number of variables, and still many more that we probably don’t know about. Because of the long and inten-sive history of fishing in the world, and our ever-increasing demand for seafood, fisheries are closed completely only in the direst of straits. There is a fine balance of protecting fish popu-lations and protecting the livelihood of generations of families relying on the ocean. With increased engagement efforts and cooperation with commer-cial and recreational anglers, along with increased science and under-standing of fish ecology, management is improving and those charged with regulating our resources are slowly getting better at it.

Learn more about fisheries and regula-tions in the US:

n WCAI NPR: Who’s Who in New England Fisheries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCDUQuZ0bQk

n Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conser-vation and Management Act: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/laws_policies/msa/

n Sport Fish Restoration Act: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SFR/SFR_Act.htm

Photo by Elaine Brewer


REGISTRATION To register for the conference, visit http://ma-marine-ed.org/

• $60 for current MME members • $25 MME student rate• $70 Walk-in registration for MME members• $90 for non-MME members (includes membership to MME)• $40 non-MME student rate (includes membership to MME)• $100 Walk-in registration for non-MME member (includes membership to MME)

*Conference fee includes lunch

For questions, please contact Peg Collins [[email protected]]

S AV E T H E D AT E

Massachusetts Marine EducatorsBoston Harbor Educators Conference

CELEBRATING BOSTON HARBORLighting the Way Forward

*1716 *1916 *1986 *1996 *2006 *2016

Saturday, October 1st • 8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.UMass Boston

SCHEDULE8:15-8:45 Registration and Coffee8:45-10:00 Welcome and Keynote Speaker10:00-10:15 Coffee and Exhibits10:20-11:35 Workshop I11:40-12:30 Lunch and Exhibits12:40-1:40 Second Keynote Speaker2:00 Proceed to boat2:15-4:00 Trip to Spectacle Island

Boat Trip to Spectacle IslandJoin us aboard the Columbia Point for a brief boat ride followed by an exploration of one of our anniversary parks, Spectacle Island.

http://ma-marine-ed.org


ISFMP Policy Board is comprised of three Commissioners from each of the 15 member states and representatives of D.C., the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC), NOAA Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It oversees the administration and management of the individual species management boards.

The three Commissioners from each state with a declared interest in the species sit on these species management boards (boards), and collectively decide how to vote on issues brought before the Commission, as each state is allowed only one vote. The boards consider and approve the development and imple-mentation of FMPs, amendments, and addenda. When proposed programs are approved by a board, the involved states are then responsible for implementing the approved management measures within their jurisdictions.

Each board is advised and supported by its own set of various committees and teams. Technical Committees (TCs) are comprised of technical staff from each involved state/agency, and provide boards with the best scientific informa-tion available to guide management. The TCs are further supported by Stock Assessment Subcommittees, comprised of fisheries scientists from state and federal agencies, who are responsible for conducting species stock assessments to evaluate stock condition (e.g., stock size, and overfished and overfishing

status relative to biological refer-ence points).

Advisory Panels (APs) are made up of commercial and recreational fishing interests with concerns about fisheries conservation

and management, who inform Boards on stakeholder interests and provide advice concerning species manage-ment activities.

Plan Development Teams (PDTs) are responsible for preparing the documentation necessary in the devel-opment of a new FMP, Amendment, or Addendum. Once programs are in place, Plan Review Teams (PRTs) are responsible for providing advice on the implementation and status of these programs.

Lastly, a Law Enforcement Committee, comprised of professionals in marine fisheries enforcement from each involved state/agency, provides input on the efficacy and enforceability of proposed regula-tions, and provides feedback on the effectiveness of existing FMP regulations.

Decision Making Process of ASMFCThe ASMFC deci-sion making process begins when a problem has been identified in a fishery that is either already under Commission management or is being considered for management by the

Commission. For example, scientists conducting a stock assessment may find that a stock is overfished and/or overfishing is occurring, or perhaps a new fishery is developing that is in need of regulation to protect the resource. The issue is brought to the attention of the appropriate board, which tasks its PDT with identifying management and resource issues, as well as potential measures to address the issues through a draft FMP, amendment, or addendum. In the Commission process, an addendum (similar to a framework in the Council process) is a mechanism that allows for certain FMP and amendment measures to be modified or adapted in an expedited fashion. For example, it usually takes 12–18 months to finalize an FMP or amendment, while it can take as little as six months to finalize an addendum.

The PDT turns to the TC for a scien-tific review, and the TC gathers the best available science and data to inform the development of effective solutions. The PDT also asks the AP, LEC, and others to weigh in and develop reports when determining the scope of the problem and possible solutions. With all of this information,

Ins and Outscontinued from page 3

ASMFC Fisheries Decision-Making Process

Identi�ed ProblemStock status / allocation / rebuilding targets

States ActRegulations implemented and enforced

Commission DecidesFinal management measures

Public and Advisory InputPublic Comment Process

Scienti�c Review / InputTechnical Committee

Proposed ActionPotential management measures

Commission

ISFMP Policy Board

Species Management Boards

TechnicalCommittees

Plan Review Team

AdvisoryPanels


the PDT develops the draft manage-ment document, outlining the management objective and proposed regulatory options. This draft docu-ment is presented to the board. The board can either approve it for public review and comment or direct the PDT to continue working on the issues and management options contained in the document for review and approval at the next board meeting.

Once the draft document is approved, it is released for public comment, an integral part of the development of every management action. During this period, written comments are accepted and public hearings are held among the states to provide an opportunity for the public to seek information about the proposed measures, and to speak for or against certain options. The public comment period for addenda lasts 30 days. All FMPs and amend-ments are required to have a public comment period of 30 days before mandatory public hearings are initi-ated. The document remains open for comment while these hearings occur, and the comment period must continue for 14 more days following the last public hearing.

Public feedback and reports from the various involved committees are then prepared by the PDT to present to the Board. This material informs the Board’s decision on which of the options to choose as final management measures. Selecting final measures is a difficult task. The Commissioners weigh the health of the resource with socioeconomic factors and aim to find a balance between the resource’s condition and the industry that relies on its harvest.

After the Board chooses a set of measures through final action, the states must implement and enforce these measures. States annually report on the status and activities of the fishery to ensure compliance with ASMFC mandated measures. With these reports, ASMFC evaluates the

effectiveness of the manage-ment program to ensure that it is meeting the goals and objec-tives of the FMP.

REGIONAL MANAGEMENT: New England Fishery Management CouncilIn the early 1970s, Congress recognized that it must address the problem of heavy foreign fishing off the U.S. coast, which was competing aggressively with domestic fishermen and quickly depleting fish stocks. It also realized that promoting development of a strong domestic fishing fleet would be advantageous to the U.S. economy. In order to protect marine resources near our coast-lines and build domestic fisheries, the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (later renamed Magnuson-Stevens) was passed in 1976, establishing an EEZ between three and 200 miles offshore. To manage the living marine resources in that area, the Act created eight regional fishery management councils.

The New England Fishery Manage-ment Council (Council, or NEFMC) is one of the eight regional councils established in 1976. It is charged with conserving and managing fishery resources from three to 200 miles off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and extends through the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Southern New England waters.

Membership of NEFMCThe Council is made up of 18 voting members: the Regional Administrator of the Greater Atlantic Region/NOAA Fisheries, a principal state official with marine fishery management respon-sibility from each of the five states, and twelve state governor-nominated members appointed by the Secre-tary of Commerce. In addition, four non-voting members represent the

U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wild-life Service, U.S. Department of State, and ASMFC.

Structure of NEFMCNEFMC’s rulemaking process relies heavily on its Oversight Commit-tees, APs, PDTs, and Scientific and Statistical Committee to develop management actions, which are then reviewed and approved by the entire Council.

An Oversight Committee is created to manage the rulemaking activities for each specific fishery or important management issue debated by the Council. These consist of a subset of Council members. Oversight Commit-tees seek advice from APs, which are made up of stakeholders with experience related to fisheries issues. PDTs provide guidance to the Council on a variety of scientific, technical, or FMP implementation issues and ensure that management measures meet scientific and legal requirements before approval. Finally, the NEFMC’s Scientific and Statistical Committee provides ongoing scientific advice, including recommendations for acceptable biological catch, preventing overfishing, maximum sustainable yield, achieving rebuilding targets, and accountability measures.


State fisheries management agency

Approximate rulemaking

timeline Public commentRulemaking

authority Declaration authority

State-managed species

Maine Division of Marine Resources (ME DMR)

3 months Notification to comment; 30 day period, possibly including hearings.

Vote by DMR Advisory Council

Emergency rulemaking authority by DMR Commissioner. Effective for 90 days.

Smelts; shellfish; other invertebrates

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

(NHFG)

2-3 months Comment period required, schedule is determined by Executive Director of NHFG

Executive Director, plus Majority Vote by NHFG Commission, plus advisory committee on marine fisheries

Emergency authority to Executive Director of NHFG with a required public hearing. Declarations based on pollution do not require a hearing.

rainbow smelts; shellfish; other invertebrates; groundfish species; seaweeds

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA

DMF)

MA municipalities manage some species by

jurisdiction.

6 months Minimum 21 day public comment period, including hearings.

Majority vote by Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission (MFC)

Emergency rulemaking authority by DMF Director. Effective for 90 days. Emergency regulations are subject to administrative review (up to 8 weeks to take effect).

rainbow smelt; white perch; some shellfish (whelk, crabs, clams)

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM)

3 months 30 day public comment period including hearing and workshop

RI Marine Fisheries Council (RI MFC) gives recommendation, RI DEM Director approves

RI DFW Director must give 48 hours’ notice to modify existing allocations, seasons, or possession limits for quota monitored species.

Some shellfish

Connecticut Department of Energy and

Environmental Protection (DEEP)

9 months 30 day public notice, followed by hearing and 14 days of public comment

Approval by Attorney General and Legislative Regulations Review Committee

Declaration authority by CT DEEP Commissioner when: modifying recreational seasons; closing areas or seasons for threatened species; setting 120 day renewable modifications of seasons/possession limits/minimum sizes to comply with federal/interstate mandates.

White perch; sea run brown trout; bait species

NEFMC Member State Organizations


Decision Making Process of NEFMCIn many ways, the decision making process of the Council resembles that of ASMFC. When a problem is brought forward to the Council, it tasks the appropriate Oversight Committee, mirroring how the ISFMP Policy Board tasks its species management boards. Also parallel, the Council’s Oversight Committee considers the recommendations of its PDT, the advice of its AP, and the analyses provided by its Scien-tific and Statistical Committee to develop management options. Just like ASMFC, it gathers the testi-mony of affected stakeholders and the public. The Oversight Committee presents these management options to the Council along with the various committee reports and public comment, and the Council uses these materials to carefully consider measures before approval.

Management PartnershipsAll management actions approved by the New England Fisheries Manage-ment Council are sent to NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region Fisheries Office (GARFO) for final approval. Once the actions are approved GARFO implements them by publishing rules in the form of federal regulations and provides for the enforcement of those regulations in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Collaboration of management agencies may be required depending on species range or location of harvest. Some-times NEFMC coordinates its activities with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Manage-ment Council—another of the eight regional fishery councils established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act—which manages federal waters directly to the south of NEFMC’s jurisdiction. Additionally, there are instances where species are found in both state and federal waters. In these cases, NEFMC and ASMFC coordinate on species management and administer

complementary FMPs, as in the case of Atlantic herring and winter flounder.

Independent State ManagementIn addition to implementing the species management measures required by ASMFC FMPs, states also regulate species that are found either solely within a single state’s waters or have such a limited migratory pattern that there is no need for interstate manage-ment (e.g., sea urchin in Maine). In these cases, each state has developed a slightly different process to create its regulations, though there are many parallels among state processes.

The state rulemaking process begins when the fisheries management agency drafts proposed regulations. After review by various groups, proposed regulations are submitted to the public for comment and feedback. Following the public comment process, proposals are rewritten and further developed before final review and approval. This rulemaking timeframe can span anywhere from three to nine months depending on the state.

When necessary, the directors of state fisheries management agencies have some flexibility in establishing rules quickly. This is called declaration authority, or emergency rulemaking, and is used in instances when the state management must quickly comply with an ASMFC or NEFMC FMP, or when the regular rulemaking timeframe could result in a delay that causes damage to the resource. Regulations are put in place soon after declaration, and last for differing periods of time depending on the state.

SummaryAs illustrated, many agencies contribute to fisheries management in New England. Each varies in its lawmaking process and level of authority, but all share the common goal of sustainably managing fisheries resources for the benefit and use of all stakeholders, of both current and

future generations. Regulations devel-oped at the state level represent the simplest form of fisheries management. When nearshore species inhabit and migrate through the inshore waters of multiple states, the ASMFC steps in to coordinate the interstate management of species like striped bass, American lobster, Atlantic menhaden, and Amer-ican eel (to name a few).

Likewise, the NEFMC works with the states and vested stakeholders to coor-dinate the management of offshore species throughout New England such as monkfish, haddock, and yellowtail flounder. When fisheries occur in both state and federal waters, ASMFC and NEFMC come together to create joint or complementary FMPs for species like Atlantic herring, spiny dogfish, and winter flounder. By working both individually and in collaboration, state, interstate, and federal agencies weave a net of regulatory management which safeguards the diverse array of sport and commercial fisheries in New England.


This year’s Massachusetts Marine Educators T-shirt is dedicated to the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus. The Atlantic bluefin is a species of tuna in the family Scombridae. It is variously known as the northern bluefin tuna (mainly when including Pacific bluefin as a subspecies), giant bluefin tuna (for individ-uals exceeding 150 kilograms or around 330 pounds) and formerly as the tunny. Atlantic bluefin are native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a close relative of the other two bluefin tuna species—the Pacific bluefin tuna and the southern bluefin tuna.

To learn more about the atlantic bluefin tuna go to The Center for Biodiversity at http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/fish/Atlantic_bluefin_tuna/index.html

Members interested in purchasing a Bluefin tuna t-shirt should contact Bill Andrake at [email protected].

The long sleeve shirt is beige with the illustration in dark blue on the back of the shirt and the MME logo on the front.

Short sleeve shirts are light blue with the Illustration on the front and the MME logo on the left sleeve.

2016 MME T-shirtOCEAN LITERACY

PRINCIPLE 4:The ocean made Earth habitable.

Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere originally came from the activities of photosynthetic organisms in the ocean. This accumulation of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere was necessary for life to develop and be sustained on land.

The ocean is the cradle of life; the earliest evidence of life is found in the ocean. The millions of different species of organisms on Earth today are related by descent from common ancestors that evolved in the ocean and continue to evolve today.

The ocean provided and continues to provide water, oxygen, and nutrients, and moderates the climate needed for life to exist on Earth.


Naval Research’s Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department, said the Armstrong’s value would ultimately be measured in thousands of scientific papers and as a platform to educate generations of graduate students.

Sheasley, the captain, said it would take months or longer for him and the crew to learn the intricacies and kinks of

the new ship, which smells as new as it looks.

When they are ready, the Armstrong will carry on the Knorr’s legacy, and the crew hope their work will offer deeper insights into how climate change is affecting the oceans.

As the Falmouth Academy band played swing music, a throng of well-wishers waved signs to welcome the ship and wore stickers, some with the

message “RV Neil Armstrong: One Giant Leap for the Ocean.”

Joy and Carl Wirsen, who worked for years at the Oceanographic Institution before retiring, recalled fond memories of the Knorr and spoke of their hopes for the Armstrong.

“We hope this is the start of another great era,” she said.

Source of some material is David Abel /Globe Staff

RV Armstrongcontinued from page 5

Courtesy of The Boston Globe


to manage fisheries where the species move across the state/federal lines, and federal managers work with other nations and international bodies to jointly manage fish that cross interna-tional boundaries.

For example, the American lobster fishery is managed jointly by the states and NOAA Fisheries through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. There are seven lobster management areas, most of which are managed jointly between NOAA Fish-eries and the Commission. But one of these areas (Area 6) is completely within the three-mile state boundaries of Connecticut and New York, and therefore only managed by these two states. Another example is the Georges Bank cod stock—because Georges Bank is divided between the US and Canada, we work with our Canadian counterparts to determine what a sustainable level of Georges Bank cod harvest would be, and then split it between the two countries.

The Commercial FisheriesThere are 15 commercial fisheries in New England and Mid Atlantic waters that are managed federally, six that are managed jointly in federal and state waters, and nine that are managed by the states. In 2014, commercial fish-ermen in the Greater Atlantic Region landed 1.2 billion pounds of fish and shellfish. A total of 4,440 vessels hold federal permits to fish in the Greater Atlantic Region, though the actual number of vessels that actively fish is much smaller. In addition, some vessels hold only state permits, and many vessels hold both. The port of New Bedford, Massachusetts has landed the highest value of seafood in the nation for the last 15 years. In 2014, New Bedford brought in $329 million in seafood sales, but was ninth in overall pounds landed. This is

largely due to the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, which brings in one of the highest value seafood products.

Commercial Fisheries RegulationsFor most commercial fisheries, we, together with the councils and in some cases the states, set management measures limiting where, when, and how fishing is allowed. These are called “input controls.” The New England groundfish fishery (20 stocks of fish that live near the ocean bottom, such as cod, haddock, flounders, redfish, etc.), however, now has a different system in place. In 2010, we implemented Sector Management, a voluntary catch-based system that is largely an output control. About 99% of groundfish fishermen choose to participate in this system. In the sector system, fishermen are allocated a quota for the group. The sector then allocates a “slice of the pie” to each fisherman. Depending on the rules of that sector, they may fish their part, trade it, or even lease it to other fishermen. Sector management gives fishermen more flexibility in when and where they go fishing.

The Recreational FisheriesRecreational fishing contributes more to the national economy than commer-cial fishing, including supplying more jobs. Annually, millions of recreational fishing trips take place throughout the Greater Atlantic Region. Recreational

fishing contributes $4.8 billion to our regional economy each year ($1.3 billion across New England and $3.5 billion across the mid-Atlantic in 2013). For-hire vessels, private vessels, and shore-based anglers harvest more than 75 million pounds of fish each year in the region. In New England, the most popular species for recre-ational anglers are cod, haddock, pollock, winter flounder, striped bass, bluefish, and summer flounder. In the Mid-Atlantic, summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, bluefish, mackerel, and golden tilefish are mainly targeted.

Recreational Fisheries RegulationsWe manage recreational fishing by establishing seasons, bag limits (an output control), and size limits to keep the harvest within the recreational catch limits, in conjunction with the coun-cils. Determining the best recreational fishing regulations is difficult because the location of fish, tourist season, and fishable weather are different in different parts of our region. This is why we work cooperatively with the state fishery management agencies, and in some cases—like summer flounder and bluefish—we have a system that allows the states to tailor measures more precisely than we can on a federal level. The data we use to estimate recreational fishing effort comes from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), which uses statistical surveys

Long Haulcontinued from page 9

New Bedford commercial fishing boats

Photo credit MA

DM

F


and information reported directly by recreational anglers to find out how many fish were caught each year. If recreational anglers exceed their quota one year, we may adjust seasons, bag limits, and/or size limits to keep the catch below the limit the following year.

Gathering Data on FishingMost of our commercial fisheries are “limited entry” fisheries, meaning that you are required to have one of a limited number of permits in order to participate in the fishery. Commercial fishermen’s permits require them to report their catch to NOAA Fisheries. We also require commercial fish dealers to report the amount of each species they purchase from commercial vessels. We keep track of the catch for a partic-ular fishery on a regular basis, and have the latest totals on our website. Once a fishery reaches its quota, no more fishing is allowed for that species.

Each year, we evaluate the fishermen’s reported catch, compare it to the dealer’s report of the same catch, and cross-check it with any data we have from fisheries observers (biologists who accompany fishermen on a certain percentage of trips). We also use data from our own research surveys as well as surveys conducted by other organi-zations, and the best available scientific information on the fish “recruit-ment,” stock structure, and mortality

Barotrauma: Improving Survival of Released FishWhen deep-water fish come to the surface too quickly, they can suffer from barotrauma, the rapid expansion of air inside a fish’s swim bladder and other organs due to the sudden change in pressure. Often a fish’s eyes will bulge out and its swim bladder may push the stomach out of its mouth. If the fish is simply dehooked and dropped back into the water, it is likely to die—and is easy pickings for a hungry seagull. As part of our Regional Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Plan, NOAA Fisheries is increasing outreach to angler groups and the general public on barotrauma reduction methods (and safe fish handling in general) to improve survivability of recreationally released fish. There are a number of tools available to help anglers return fish to the appropriate depth, allowing the fish to recompress on the way down.

(including natural mortality) to assemble an overall evaluation of each fish stock, called a “stock assessment.” Stock assessments are done periodi-cally; the frequency depends on the species and the availability of the data, and provides a status of the stock from which managers develop regulations.

Recreational fisheries are essentially “unlimited entry” fisheries—anyone can fish. Recreational anglers are now required to register through the National Saltwater Angler Registry, but most state recreational licenses, like in Massachusetts, are sufficient to satisfy this federal requirement. Despite a nationwide recreational angler registry, the number of recreational anglers is difficult to track. We estimate between 3.6 and 4.1 million people fish recre-ationally in our region each year. Quantifying their catches and discards is even more of a challenge.

Because of the large number of recre-ational anglers, we use a statistical survey (MRIP) to get information on recreational landings. We conduct in-person surveys of anglers at marinas, boat ramps, and shore fishing sites about their trips, and count, weigh, and measure their catch. We also conduct “for hire” surveys at sea on charter and party vessels. In addition, we conduct phone interviews to reach households, charter and head boat operators, and

captains who hold certain types of permits. These phone interviews will soon be replaced by a mail survey, which we expect will produce more accurate information. Scientists at our Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole then use these data to extrapolate statistics for the recreational fishery. While this data is arguably less robust than the multiple sources of data used in the commercial fishery, we are constantly working to improve our recreational sampling.

Vision for the FutureOur vision for the future includes thriving fish stocks, healthy fish habitats, vibrant coastal communities, and world-class fisheries. A number of challenges face fisheries manage-ment in the Greater Atlantic Region. We have seen Atlantic cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine plummet in recent years, and have had to cut the quota by more than 90% in an effort to reduce fishing pressure and allow the fishery to rebuild. At the same time, the Gulf of Maine haddock stocks have been growing, but to catch haddock, fish-ermen have to avoid the cod, which often inhabit the same areas. Another challenge we face is that the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most places on Earth, complicating fish-eries management. There is evidence that climate change may be affecting some species more than others, and some fish species are moving north as a result, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of the stock status.

Despite these and many other chal-lenges, in the 40 years since the passage of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, our nation’s fisheries have become a global model of sustainability. With transparent management and public participation, we have rebuilt 39 stocks that were once overfished. We will continue to work towards the goal of sustainable fisheries through contin-uous collaboration, adaptation, and monitoring in an ever-changing ocean environment.


Earlier this month, students from all around the Greater Boston area figuratively got their feet wet,

participating in hands-on marine workshop and lectures at two High School Marine Science Symposia, hosted by the Northeastern University Marine Science Center (NUMSC) and the Massachusetts Marine Educa-tors. This conference-style marine science event for high school students and teachers has been hosted by the Massachusetts Marine Educators for over 30 years, with past locations and hosting partners including University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and Endicott College.

This year, the NUMSC worked with MME to expand efforts to host two events, the fourth annual North Shore Symposium on March 16 at Salem State University, and the first ever metro-Boston Symposium on March 9 at Northeastern University. The ability to expand to two events was largely thanks to the diligent efforts of NUMSC staff, the MME planning committee, and passionate volunteers and presenters, all of whom devoted their time to help inspire the next generation of marine scientists.

Additionally, generous event

Students Plunge into Marine Science at the High School Marine Science Symposia

Valerie Perini, Outreach Instructor, Northeastern University Marine Science Center

sponsorship allowed organizers to keep attendance fees low, allowing students from urban and underserved districts to attend. Event sponsors included Jules Catering, The MassBays National Estuary Program, The Museum Institute for Teaching Science, Massa-chusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Boston Harbor Cruises, The Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach, Roche Brothers, and Panera Bread.

Students and teachers from 24 schools across the two events attended work-shops and keynote lectures exploring marine science topics and techniques, affording participants with hands-on experiences and expert knowledge. Over 50 presenters from 25 institu-tions volunteered their time to inform and inspire students about careers and opportunities in marine STEM fields.

The events garnered interest from far and wide, with both events selling out well before the registration deadline, and participants traveling from as far away as western Massachusetts and Rhode Island to attend the events.

At the metro-Boston event at North-eastern University, just under 300 student participants were greeted in the Curry Student Center with

morning snacks and words of welcome from the event organizers and Dr. David Budil, Associate Dean of Research in the College of Science, before heading off to their workshops.

In the “Doctoring Dolphins and Tending Sea

Turtles” workshop presented by the National Sea Life Center, students learned the techniques involved in rescuing stranded sea life, and then got to try their hand at these techniques using model marine mammals and turtles. In the “Seagrass Sleuthing” workshop presented by researchers at the NUMSC, students discovered the wealth of ecosystem services that seagrass beds provide to people, and practiced methods of studying these delicate and threatened habitats.

At the North Shore event at Salem State University (SSU), just over 200 student participants were greeted by event organizers and SSU hosts including Mary Dunn, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, Dr. Ryan Fisher, Director of the Biology Department, and Stephen Young, Professor of Geography. In the workshops, students got up close and personal with mollusks during a squid dissection presented by Maritime Gloucester, and another workshop exploring the fascinating shelled mollusks found on local beaches, presented by the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach.

The opportunity for students to work in small groups on hands-on projects was a noted success of both events. Photo by Elaine Brewer

An exciting moment during a scallop dissection at the Boston symposium.

Phot

o by

Ela

ine

Brew

er


High school students also got peer-to-peer instruction in a marine debris workshop led by the Trash Talk Teens of Salem Sound Coastwatch and a plankton workshop led by the Beach Sister Peer Leaders of Girls Inc. of Lynn. Other students tried their hand at assembling the bones of a marine mammal skeleton, and learned the tools to explore and document the wreckage of a sunken ship, in workshops presented by the SeaCoast Science Center, and the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeology, respectively.

Compelling keynote speakers at both events rounded out the morning, inspiring students with stories of marine science career successes. In Boston, notable shark biologist Dr. Greg Skomal shared his story of hard work and dedication as he fulfilled his childhood career goal to study white sharks. In Salem, Dyan DeNapoli, “The Penguin Lady” regaled students with a tale of an unexpected, but life-changing, career twist, when she played a leading role in a massive and successful effort to clean and rescue over 40,000 penguins after an oil spill off the coast of South Africa. Both speakers concluded their talk with sound advice for students considering a career in marine sciences, or any subject really, including: don’t be afraid to take chances and think outside the box, never give up on your goals, and hard work and perseverance will always pay off.

As students enjoyed lunch after the keynote lecture, the air was thick with excitement and chatter as they shared with their friends and teachers all they had learned that morning, and inspiration for pursuing the opportunities they had heard about. Teachers and presenters chatted with each other and event organizers, taking advantage of some networking time before everyone loaded back into their busses and cars to head home.

Feedback surveys after the event indicated that teachers and presenters enjoyed the day, and would be interested in participating again next year. One presenter noted that the small workshop size of 15–20 students was “ideal for both presenting and hands-on activities.” Several teachers praised these hands-on activities, and mentioned their students spoke highly of the workshops. One teacher shared, “My students really enjoyed their time. They were engaged, had fun and were able to tell me a lot about the objectives they learned.”

Reaching nearly 500 students and teachers between both events, the successful symposia illustrate how great things can be accomplished when passionate and dedicated individuals and organizations work together. Whether they choose to pursue marine science, or an unrelated field, the experience gained and connections made by students will surely lead to future opportunities and broadened perspectives in their journey to becoming the working professionals of the future.

Students weigh shells for an experiment in an ocean acidification workshop presented by MIT SeaGrant.

Students and teachers work together to assemble a marine mammal skeleton.

Boston keynote speaker Dr. Greg Skomal addressed students in the Curry Student Center Ballroom at Northeastern University.

Students conduct a feeding experiment in a workshop presented by Kestrel Education Adventures.

Phot

o by

Ela

ine

Brew

erPh

oto

by E

lain

e Br

ewer

Phot

o by

Ela

ine

Brew

erPh

oto

by E

lain

e Br

ewer


To get an MME membership application, please go to

http://ma-marine-ed.org/about/membership

Join MME Today!

MME EDUCATOR of the YEARFor outstanding effort and distinguished performance in the teaching of marine science and for fostering interest, appreciation, and love of the marine environment in a classroom setting.

Meredith Tibbo

JOSEPH BALSAMA SERVICE AWARDFor outstanding assistance to MME in support of the Boston Harbor Educators Conference.

Corrine Steever

Massachusetts Marine Educators Awards

JOHN PATRICK CROWLEY MEMORIAL STUDENT AWARDMerrill Nadeau

CERTIFICATES of APPRECIATIONFor dedicated service, a commitment to the advancement of marine science, and for support in promoting the goals of MME.

Karin Tammi

NAP BUONAPARTE SERVICE AWARDFor outstanding assistance and enthusiastic contributions to MME.

Doug Corwine

JOHN PATRICK CROWLEY MEMORIAL TEACHER GRANTSDon Pinkerton, Revere High School

Flotsam Jetsam - Massachusetts Marine...

Documents

Transcript of Flotsam Jetsam - Massachusetts Marine...